Report of the Medical Schools Section Primary Care Task Force.

THE percentage of physicians practicing a primary care specialty has declined, from about one half of total physicians in 1963 to about one third in 1986. One reason for this change is the retirement of general practitioners from medical practice. 1 These physicians are not being replaced at the same level, due to the decreased interest in primary care displayed by more recent US medical school graduates. 2 For example, results from the 1992 National Residency Matching Program showed that about 62% of the available positions in family practice, 64% of the positions in pediatrics, and 60% of the positions in internal medicine were filled with US seniors (memorandum from Norman Kahn, Jr, MD, American Academy of Family Physicians, to Commission on Education, March 17, 1992). In addition, 60% of the individuals initially entering residencies in internal medicine and 40% of those in pediatrics later pursue subspecialty training (Lyttle et

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